Municipal solid waste is commonly incinerated in a combustion process at high temperatures such as 1600 degrees Fahrenheit. This incineration process seeks to destroy the waste by burning it, usually at high temperatures with excess air. The ultimate purpose of the process is to burn as much waste as possible as quickly as possible. One potential problem with such incineration is the emissions of the incinerator may contain toxic and other unwanted pollutants dangerous to human health and the environment. Another potential problem with conventional incineration is that the process destructs all the municipal solid waste and does not recycle any of it. Another problem with incinerating municipal solid waste is that the resultant ash must be sent to a particular type of landfill subject to restrictive environmental regulations.
Therefore, there is a need in the industry for a process of treating municipal solid waste in an environmentally friendly manner which uses all of the residual by-products of the process.
There is also a need for a process of treating municipal solid waste in an environmentally friendly manner which is capable of generating electricity.